"A Stolen Life", based on an obscure novel by Karel J. Benes (previously filmed in 1939 starring Elisabeth Bergner), has a whole lot going for it, but comes up short on dramatic fire. Pleasantly set on the East Coast around a seaside village and lighthouse, Bette Davis stars as a sort of spinsterish good girl, a Yankee "third-rate artist" who develops a big crush on lighthouse worker Glenn Ford. Unfortunately for her (and Ford!), the artist's identical twin comes into the picture, politely scheming away, and naturally the hunky dolt falls for the bad sister and marries her instead. The split-screen effect is very polished here, as are the performances, though this script is on the thin side. Davis and Ford make a somewhat odd romantic pairing (she seems a bit mature for him), and the final scene is unbelievably florid and fluttery-eyed. It doesn't convince for a minute, but the milieu and atmosphere are enjoyable regardless. **1/2 from ****